- ERO evaluates and reports on the education and care of children and young people in early childhood services and schools.
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Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
Kidspace Early Learning Centre is a privately owned all-day education and care centre located in Tauranga. The centre is licensed for 40 children, including up to six under two years old. At the time of this ERO review, the roll of 32 included six Māori children and smaller groups from Samoan and Indian families.
The centre manager employs two head teachers who have responsibilities for programme oversight in each of the age-group areas. There are designated spaces for children under two when needed. During recent years, staffing has been stable and almost all teachers are currently qualified. Owners and teachers have worked together to address development areas identified in the 2012 ERO report. These related to strategic planning and improvements to outdoor play areas. The centre has a positive reporting history with ERO.
The centre’s philosophy emphasises nurture, free play, friendliness, strong family relationships, social skills development and understandings about bicultural and multi cultural perspectives. These values are continually reflected in the daily programme and in the positive relationships between teachers, children and families. A cheerful, family-like atmosphere is evident throughout the centre.
Young learners benefit from very positive and responsive relationships with teachers within a calm, unhurried environment. Their ideas are encouraged, accepted and respected and they have significant input into the programme. They demonstrate a strong sense of ownership of their centre environment and actively participate in the organising and care of resources. Older children are encouraged to lead mat times, demonstrating that they are confident, capable learners. Children and teachers have fun together.
Teachers model very inclusive practices that ensure children who have diverse cultural backgrounds, languages, or abilities are actively encouraged to engage in learning and play. The programme demonstrates a suitable balance between child-led and teacher-initiated learning experiences. Teachers very effectively co-construct learning and support children’s problem solving. Literacy, mathematics and te reo Māori are interwoven within the programme. Children’s self management is encouraged and evident. Transitions within the centre and to school are smoothly facilitated to respond to the needs of children and families.
Learning environments are regularly and very effectively refreshed. Displays celebrate children’s work and learning activities, and incorporate prompts to promote early literacy and mathematics skills. Displays also include Māori vocabulary and perspectives, and recognition of children’s heritages. Physical challenges are provided for children at a range of development stages. Small animals are enjoyed and well cared for in an appropriate enclosure.
Teachers are very knowledgeable about teaching practice and theory. Curriculum and assessment practices are continually reviewed and revised to ensure that they are meeting the needs of children and families. There is a strong emphasis on regular communication with families that involves consultation about children’s needs and aspirations for learning and development. Regular learning stories from different teachers lead to the identification of extension needs, and intentional teaching strategies to guide individual programme planning and further assessment. The programme includes frequent excursions and visits to local places of interest. Children also enjoy weekly swimming lessons and dancing sessions facilitated by external providers. The popular group time for children aged four years old effectively engages them in age-appropriate literacy, mathematics and science activities associated with current topics of interest.
Babies and toddlers benefit from high quality nurture and care. They play and learn in environments, which are welcoming, cheerful, and comfortable. Young children’s rhythms, needs and interests are noticed, recognised and individually responded to and planned for. In their designated indoor area, floor-level resources promote exploration and physical development. Teachers respond readily to children's verbal and non-verbal cues and to their individual rhythms and needs. Positive, regular, timely communication with parents builds trust that results in opportunities for parents to contribute to the programme and to seek advice as needed. Parents are welcome to remain with their children until they develop trusting relationships with teachers. There are daily opportunities for babies and toddlers to enjoy supervised play in over-two play areas. This provides opportunities for family-like interaction with older children, which is reciprocally beneficial. Younger children have space and time to lead their learning in all areas of the centre.
The centre manager provides effective, collaborative and professional leadership for the centre. She empowers team leaders and teachers to take responsibility for a range of management and leadership roles. She drives continual improvement according to current and emerging best-practice ideas in early childhood education. Teachers engage in regular professional dialogue supported by team leaders.
Manager, leaders and teachers continually emphasise a strong focus on identifying and meeting the needs of children and maintaining a family atmosphere. The appraisal process is well managed and regularly reviewed. Self review is well used to continually improve centre practices. There is a continuing emphasis on critical reflection and evaluation to improve outcomes for children and to sustain the positive culture at the centre.
Next steps identified by the centre and affirmed by ERO’s review process are to continue to:
Before the review, the staff and management of Kidspace Early Learning Centre completed an ERO Centre Assurance Statement and Self-Audit Checklist. In these documents they attested that they have taken all reasonable steps to meet their legal obligations related to:
During the review, ERO looked at the service’s systems for managing the following areas that have a potentially high impact on children's wellbeing:
All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.
The next ERO review of Kidspace Early Learning Centre will be in four years.
Graham Randell
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
14 January 2016
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Location |
Tauranga |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
45439 |
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Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
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Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
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Number licensed for |
40 children, including up to 6 aged under 2 |
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Service roll |
32 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 18 Girls 14 |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori Pākehā Indian Samoan Other |
6 17 3 3 3 |
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Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80% Based on funding rates |
80% |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:3 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:7 |
Better than minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
November 2015 |
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Date of this report |
14 January 2016 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
June 2012 |
The Education Review Office (ERO) is the government department that, as part of its work, reviews early childhood services throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. ERO’s reports provide information for parents and communities about each service’s strengths and next steps for development. ERO’s bicultural evaluation framework Ngā Pou Here is described in SECTION 3 of this report. Early childhood services are partners in the review process and are expected to make use of the review findings to enhance children's wellbeing and learning.
ERO’s overarching question for an early childhood education review is ‘How well placed is this service to promote positive learning outcomes for children?’ ERO focuses on the following factors as described in the bicultural framework Ngā Pou Here:
Pou Whakahaere – how the service determines its vision, philosophy and direction to ensure positive outcomes for children
Pou Ārahi – how leadership is enacted to enhance positive outcomes for children
Mātauranga – whose knowledge is valued and how the curriculum is designed to achieve positive outcomes for children
Tikanga whakaako – how approaches to teaching and learning respond to diversity and support positive outcomes for children.
Within these areas ERO considers the effectiveness of arotake – self review and of whanaungatanga – partnerships with parents and whānau.
ERO evaluates how well placed a service is to sustain good practice and make ongoing improvements for the benefit of all children at the service.
A focus for the government is that all children, especially priority learners, have an opportunity to benefit from quality early childhood education. ERO will report on how well each service promotes positive outcomes for all children, with a focus on children who are Māori, Pacific, have diverse needs, and are up to the age of two.
For more information about the framework and Ngā Pou Here refer to ERO’s Approach to Review in Early Childhood Services.
The overall judgement that ERO makes and the timing of the next review will depend on how well placed a service is to promote positive learning outcomes for children. The categories are:
ERO has developed criteria for each category. These are available on ERO’s website.
ERO reviews are tailored to each service’s context and performance, within the overarching review framework. The aim is to provide information on aspects that are central to positive outcomes for children and useful to the service.